Shadows
by firebolt2398
Summary: Just as the Avengers meet up with a new recruit, the greatest evil they'll ever face rises from the darkness. Under ordinary circumstance, the team could handle anything, but the new member isn't everything she seems. To top it all off, the Avengers aren't fighting just one enemy this time- they're fighting their own demons. OC hero and villain. T for possible language.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Avengers. They all belong to** **Marvel.**

_A/N: Hey guys! This is my first Avengers fanfic, so I hope y'all like it. I had this great idea for a kick-ass villain, and this is what I cam up with. This first chapter might be a bit boring because I feel like I need to introduce characters, set up a premise, yada yada yada, but I promise it'll get better. Also, Phil Coulson is not dead because he did not die. Enjoy!_

"Sir, Agent Coulson is on the phone."

Tony Stark rolled his eyes at JARVIS. _Just when you think you get a chance to rest…_

"Tell him I'm busy and he can call back next week. Or next month. Make it next year. Next year should be good."

"He says it's an urgent message." The super computer replied.

"With SHIELD, it's always urgent. Whatever it is, I'm not interested. Let Steve do it; he actually enjoys playing hero." For once, Tony was not going to be bullied into some ridiculously covert mission to take down some ridiculously small dictator. There are plenty other heroes on the Avengers. Why do they always ask Iron Man?

"Stark. Pleasure to see you again."

Tony whirled around to find Phil Coulson's face staring out of his computer.

"JARVIS! You're supposed to listen to me, not them!" Tony angrily shouted at his electronic servant.

"I'm sorry sir, but he insisted it was of the utmost importance. I felt that it would be at least worthwhile to hear him out-"

"You're a computer. You don't _feel_ anything." He huffed, than faced the straight-faced SHIELD agent. "What third-world country are we saving this time?"

"None. I have news that you may actually be interested in hearing." The agent smiled knowingly.

"Doubtful," replied Tony, pushing himself around the desk in his wheelie-chair.

"I wouldn't be so sure, seeing as this would be affecting the Avengers team…"

"Would you just get to the point?" Tony exclaimed. "If it was _so _important you would have told me already." Coulson just smirked. "You're infuriating, I hope you know that."

"We have a new recruit." That caught Tony's interest. He sat up immediately, looking Coulson hard in they eye.

"What new recruit?"

* * *

"So, who's the new recruit?" Steve Rogers asked the shorter scientist standing next to him. The soldier and Bruce Banner were standing on the deck of SHIELD's large Helicarrier, waiting for the others to arrive.

"No clue," Bruce replied. "Whoever it is, they must be pretty spectacular. This normally doesn't happen, does it?"

"Nope." A rather quiet voice from behind them made the two jump. They turned to find Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye, calmly listening to them.

"Don't do that!" said Bruce exasperatedly. "No shocks, remember? Or I might go… you know, green."

"There's no need to be ashamed of that," Steve said earnestly. The super soldier hated seeing Bruce beat himself up for his alter-ego, the Hulk. He seemed to forget that without the big green monster, the Avengers would have had no chance against Loki.

"You were talking about the recruit?" Hawkeye interrupted.

"Oh, yeah," Steve said. "Any clue what they might have to offer?"

"None. Like you said, this doesn't happen often. In fact," the archer continued, "You guys, plus Tony and Thor, were the last recruits."

"Maybe Natasha knows," Bruce remarked, watching the Avengers' only female member stride across the deck. The Black Widow, as she was sometimes called, seemed to be very in touch with what occurred within the inner workings SHIELD. Bruce vividly remembered her knocking upon his own door to give him his call for action. Or rather, tricking him into walking into a house surrounded by snipers, then insisting he help them.

"You boys seem anxious," Natasha commented. "Surely it can't be about the new recruit?"

"Why? Do you know anything about him? Or her?" Steve added hastily. The assassin grimaced.

"Nothing. Whoever this special recruit is, Fury is keeping his mouth shut."

"And for Fury, that's saying something." A cynical voice sounded behind them. Sure enough, the superheroes looked to find Tony Stark, self-proclaimed genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist.

"Stark," Natasha said somewhat stiffly.

"Natasha," Tony returned. "And Steve Rogers. Good ol' Captain USA!" He clapped Steve hard on the back, only to wince and shake his hand out after the impact. "And of course, Bruce Banner, Mr. Jekyll/Hyde himself."

"Nice to see you too, Tony," Bruce smiled at the slightly arrogant inventor. Okay, Bruce had to admit it, really arrogant. But despite his flaws, Tony had some redeeming qualities. A shared liking for science was one.

"I hope that you had a nice, calm, stress-free break?" Tony asked politely.

"I did as a matter of fact. There's this really quiet- OUCH!" The scientist jumped as something sharp and pointy pricked his side. He glared at Tony. "Was that really necessary?"

"Maybe a little." He gave one of his small half-smiles.

"Uh, guys?" Steve asked, pointing at the sky. "I think you should see this." The heroes looked up. Directly above them, the once-blue sky swirled with threatening black clouds.

"Well, it seems like Thunderbolt is in his way," Tony commented calmly. Lightning began to streak through the dark masses until one loud crash sent a bolt of lightning straight down on to the deck of the Helicarrier. The flash cleared and a large man wielding a hammer stood at the point of impact. The team clapped sarcastically at the dramatic Thor.

"Quite the entrance. I'd say eight out of ten. Your form was a little off," Tony greeted the demigod.

"My friends!" The Asgardian boomed. "It has been many a season since we have last gathered. It pleases me greatly to look upon your shining mortal faces."

"It's been three weeks," Hawkeye said rather bluntly.

"It's good to see you too, Thor," Steve added, smiling at the towering man.

"Should we head inside? I don't know about you guys, but I'm kinda interested in meeting the new recruit." Bruce suggested.

"And Banner begins the meeting with an incredibly bright idea. Today's off to a good start already. Shall we?" Tony gestured to the team, and the six make their way to the interior of the Helicarrier.

_A/N: Yes, I know, kinda boring. But I hope I got a feel for the characters. Please leave reviews, and I'll try to update by the weekend. Thanks!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Avengers. They belong to ****Marvel.**

_A/N: Hey guys! Told you I'd update soon :) So you're gonna meet my hero in this chapter; she's pretty cool if I do say so myself. Hope you enjoy!_

Nick Fury stared hard at the restless Avengers through his one eye. They sat anxiously, fidgeting as they waited for their Director to speak. Even Stark seemed slightly nervous.

"It's just a new team member. Nothing to worry about," Bruce said unconvincingly.

"I don't know. He could be so powerful, he renders all of us obsolete and we all lose our jobs," Tony joked. Steve glanced at him in panic, and Tony immediately regretted the tease.

Suddenly, Fury's earpiece crackled to life. Out came a scratchy version of Agent Coulson's voice.

"_Sir, she has arrived. I'm bringing her in now."_

"About time," Fury muttered. Tony, Steve and Thor jumped to their feet.

"She?" Tony asked incredulously.

"She?" Steve yelped.

"A female warrior?" Thor questioned.

"Finally," Natasha said pointedly. "There's nothing wrong with a bit of bad-ass girl power." With her cold glance, the three disgruntled and slightly stunned men sat down.

"If all you idiots are done discussing the possibility of a different gendered team mate," Fury interjected, "I'd like to introduce you to the newest members of the Avengers initiative. Agent Melanie Jett, code name-"

"Quicksilver," a new voice cut off the director. A younger looking girl stepped in to the conference room, smiling brightly. "Code name Quicksilver. But most call me Mel."

It took a few seconds for the team to overcome their shock at the new the new member. She was far from imposing. Mel, as she preferred, was tall and rather fragile-looking, with her pale skin and slim frame. Her dark eyes gleamed and her black hair had one streaked with silver streak. She was trembling slightly, and it looked as though a small breeze could knock her over, let alone a trained soldier or an alien threat. The only intimidating factor about her was her two shining swords strapped to her back.

Clearly not registering her first impression on the heroes, Mel waved and blushed slightly, only adding to her overall softness. "I'm a really big fan," she gushed.

Tony was the first to overpower his shock and speak. "No disrespect to Miss Jett, but," he said, turning to Fury, "are you sure you brought in the right person?"

Fury chuckled and glanced at Mel. "Do you want to tell him, or shall I?"

"It would be my honor," she said, her face slowly turning to a smirk. "I'm an accomplished swordsman, trained by both fencers and samurai alike. I have black belts in Aikido, Hapkido, and Tae Kwon Do, and fairly proficient in Jujitsu. If needed, I can sharp-shoot, and I'm pretty hand with a bow and arrow, if I do say so myself." Mel grinned broadly at the Avengers. "Is that enough, or should I repeat it all again in four other languages?"

Natasha was the only one not stunned to speechlessness. "Let's see what you got, kid." She smiled at the new recruit and led Mel out of the conference room.

* * *

"She is good," Steve whispered to Tony as they watched Mel take down yet another SHIELD agent. The team was standing in the Helicarrier's training area, and in the past ten minutes Mel had defeated four of SHIELD's top operatives, each one bigger and tougher than the last. There was a large smack and a moan as the fifth one hit the floor.

"Seen enough?" Mel asked, turning to the Avengers. She was hardly out of breath.

"Truly, milady, your skills are impressive," Thor applauded. "But I would like to see your capacity with your blades." He gestured to the gleaming silver swords that had laid untouched since they entered. Mel grinned again.

"Got any rubber bullets?" she asked Natasha.

"Yeah... Why?" Natasha answered curiously.

"Well, if something does go wrong, I'd rather not have a gaping bullet wound," Mel said matter-of-factly.

"You want me to shoot you?" Natasha's eyes widened.

"Shoot at me, at least." Mel replied calmly. "The whole point is I don't let you shoot me." Natasha looked at her friends and at Director Fury, looking for a confirmation. Fury nodded, and Natasha loaded the rubber bullets into her gun.

"Stand back," Mel warned the Avengers. "You're about to see why they call me Quicksilver." She picked up both her swords and stood some distance away from the Black Widow. "Ready," she called to the agent.

"I cannot believe I'm doing this," Natasha muttered, as she squeezed the trigger. There was a bang as the bullet fired, and one of Mel's swords flashed through the air. The team heard a slight ping, and the bullet was lodged in the wall beside Mel. Steve's eyes widened as he put two and two together.

"Did- did you just deflect the bullet with your sword?" he stammered.

"Impossible," Bruce said shocked. "You must have missed, Nat."

"Nat doesn't miss," Hawkeye pointed out.

"Try again," Mel invited. More confident, Natasha aimed the gun and fired several bullets at Quicksilver. This time, Mel used both swords to block the shots and send them into the ceiling and wall. Astonished, Natasha emptied her gun at the new recruit. Blades whirling, Mel deflected each and every bullet. It wasn't long before the area surrounding Mel was peppered with holes, but Mel herself remained untouched.

"Still a mistake?" she said, approaching Tony. With her swords in hand, Mel looked far more threatening. Tony took a step back.

"You see, what I meant was, that wasn't it a mistake that you hadn't been brought in before, because you're obviously talented and should have been a part of this team a long time ago..." Tony's voice trailed off as Mel's stare intensified.

"It's fine," Mel laughed. "I know I don't look like much. So, does that mean I'm in? I'm an 'avenger'?"

The team looked to each other and smiled. The decision was unanimous.

"Welcome to the team, Quicksilver," Steve said grinning. Mel breathed a sigh of relief as she accepted the heroes' congratulations.

"I'm glad you sorted this all out," Fury interrupted, "and I'll let it serve as I reminder that I'm never wrong." The team laughed nervously. "We're gonna have to break up this cozy little welcoming ceremony though. I just got a call from Tokyo, and there's a serious problem."

"What kind of problem?" Bruce prompted.

"From what I understand, it sounds like shadows. Coming to life," Fury looked at the newest member of the team. "Ready for your first mission?"

_A/N: So there's Quicksilver for ya! I did some research to see if there were any other heroes named Quicksilver, and there's actually a male superhero by Marvel who joined the Avengers at at the same time Hawkeye did in the comics. No connection between the two here, though. Just liked the name. In addition, I left a little clue in this chapter as to some insight on Mel that'll be super important later on. I'd be really surprised/impressed/excited if any of you figure it out. Please __review, and I'll see you soon!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers.**

_A/N: Hey guys. Sorry it's been awhile. Here you go!_

_Update: Just a quick edit. I realized that I left Thor out of the fight scene and it bothered me. All fixed now :)_

Inside a jet plane, Fury began to brief the Avengers on their next mission.

"At approximately 7 PM Japan standard time, a distress call came in from SHIELD's Tokyo branch. Attached was this video," Fury pointed to a TV screen in the jets lining. On the screen was sheer panic as dozens of citizens ran screaming through the streets. It first appeared as if they were running from nothing, but as the team looked closer…

"Are those… shadows?" Hawkeye asked, disbelieving. Sure enough, black figures were attacking the citizens, swallowing them in darkness. "But that's impossible!"

"What is this, Peter Pan?" Tony said. "Shadows are insubstantial, there's nothing to animate. It's physically impossible for a shadow to cause harm."

"There were legends on Asgard," Thor began grimly, "of kings and warriors who held dark secrets. Eventually, these secrets grew too much to hide, and their own shadow would overtake them. Neither I nor my father nor his father have ever laid any credence to such stories, but perhaps…."

"It doesn't make sense though," Natasha said. "Not every one of those people can have done such terrible things. Or are we saying that every citizen in Tokyo has committed murder?"

"Maybe it doesn't have to be something as big as murder," Mel pointed out. "Everyone has secrets. If the guilt about them is strong enough, what's to stop the shadow from taking over?"

There was silence in the cabin for a few moments. Then Steve spoke up.

"Still, what are the odds of all the shadows taking over at the same time? There has to be something controlling them."

"There's research into machines controlling dark matter," Bruce said, "but like Tony said, these are shadows. There's nothing to them."

"And yet while you argue over their possibility, here they are destroying a major city!" Fury interrupted. "How about we stop these damn things and then figure out where they came from."

"But how?" Natasha asked. "If they really are just shadows, then all of our weapons will go right through them."

"SHIELD has been working on some prototypes of weapons we have dubbed 'light-grenades'. We were planning on them to be used in wars to blind the enemy during an attack. However, they might serve a greater purpose here." Fury handed out ultra-dark sunglasses. "You all might want to put these on. The grenade doesn't differentiate between friend or foe."

"So all we do is press a button, throw the grenade, and sear those suckers into oblivion?" Mel asked, trying on the shades.

"Pretty much," Fury shrugged.

"Cool," Steve nodded. "Let's get to work."

* * *

The Avengers landed outside Tokyo Tower and in front of them was total devastation. People everywhere were shrieking, running from dark figures that moved to smoothly to be human.

"So much for impossible," Bruce said.

"Okay team," Steve began, taking control, "Iron Man, get an aerial view and look for patterns. What parts of the city the shadows are avoiding, and where they might start next. Hawkeye, Quicksilver, try and get civilians out of here before they're overtaken. Black Widow and I will take out as many shadows as you can with the grenades and look out for fallen citizens. Thor, see how many you can take out with your lightning, but don't hit any innocent people. And Hulk," Captain said, turning to the transforming green monster beside him, "see if you can get a hold on any big spotlights or signs that we can use against the shadows as well. Rip'em from buildings if you have to." The Hulk grunted, then began climbing the nearest tower. "Let's go!"

Iron Man blasted off while the Avengers began the battle. Captain America and Black Widow hardly missed a beat before launching the light grenades at the figures. A few seconds later, a blinding flash erupted from the small metal canisters- blinding, that is, to anybody not wearing the ultra-dark sunglasses. With a hiss and a slight popping, the shadows vanished like smoke. Immediately, Quicksilver and Hawkeye rushed towards the blinded civilians and began pulling them out. Thor conjured up a thunder storm and sent bolts of lightning at straying shadows. Above them, Iron Man relayed his findings.

"They seem to be concentrated within a three block radius of the tower. They're avoiding the bright spots like Shibuya Crossing," Iron Man reported.

"Shibuya Crossing?" questioned Black Widow. "That's at least ten blocks from here, possibly more." She hurled another grenade and light flashed.

"Hulk? We could use some help!" Captain America called. Grunting and snarling, the Hulk wrenched a large spotlight from a nearby building and thrusted the light beam onto the city street.

"Quicksilver! Over here!" Hawkeye called to her, motioning towards the circle of light. Quicksilver nodded, then began to carry a fallen citizen over with her. Suddenly, the citizen whipped around and kicked Quicksilver hard in the shins.

"What the-" the hero looked into the person's eyes… and found them to be entirely black. The _thing_ grinned, no longer with a normal toothy smile, but with a mouth full of fangs. Snarling, the creature attacked. Quicksilver had no choice but to grab one of her swords and slashed at it. She made a fatal cut to its neck and as soon as the blade sliced through, the creature disappeared with a shadowy vapor.

"What the hell was that?" Hawkeye yelled.

"No clue! I think," Quicksilver stared at where the thing had vanished, "I think it let the shadow take him over. He turned… like them. But substantial."

"Cap! Nat! Thor! Keep an eye out for people acting strangely," Hawkeye warned the other two heroes on the ground.

"Acting strangely?" Captain American called, throwing another grenade. "We're fighting living shadows! Define strange!"

"Guys!" Iron Man interrupted. "I've got a lone civilian running into a nearby park. It's dark in there, can you spare a moment?"

"Not really!" Quicksilver said as she grappled with another shadow creature.

"Fine. You want something done, do it yourself," Iron Man zoomed down to where he saw the person enter the wooded park. He landed heavily, then peered around. "Hello?" he called out to the darkness. "You know, any other time, I'd say enjoy a walk in the park, but right now the dark isn't being too friendly."

"I have no fear of the dark," a cold, smooth voice replied. Iron Man whirled around. He used his hands to light up the area. In front of him was a young man, pale with a shock of dark hair. Worst of all, his eyes were a pure, chilling black. "The dark has always been friendly to me."

"So you're the bastard behind this thing!" Tony realized. "Nice try, but shadows are easily defeated with a little splash of light," His hand charge and sent a burst of energy towards the man. Laughing, the man sent a jet of darkness right back, instantly enveloping the light and extinguishing in.

"That's the thing though," the man said still laughing. "I'm not any shadow. I'm THE Shadow." He waved his arms and with a burst of darkness, the "Shadow" disappeared. Almost right after, the screaming in the distance quieted.

"Iron Man?" Captain America's voice sounded within his helmet. "What's going on?" Tony looked around the empty park incredulously.

"To be honest, Cap," he gulped. "I'm not really sure."


End file.
